Today it emerged that ahead of the G20 summit in St. Petersburg His Holiness the Pope had written to Russian President Vladimir Putin on the topic of Syria.

He said: “I make a heartfelt appeal for them to help find ways to overcome the conflicting positions and to lay aside the futile pursuit of a military solution. Rather, let there be a renewed commitment to seek, with courage and determination, a peaceful solution through dialogue and negotiation of the parties.”

It’s an emotional appeal for peace, but it’s also significant that it comes in the form of a letter. It comes on the back of a similar missive, this time from the Syrian Parliament – addressed to the speaker of the British Parliament – invoking Shakespeare to encourage MPs to vote against military action in Syria. Which they did. Similar letters have gone to the French Parliament and the UN.